


The Same Coin

by Lady_La_La



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Based on a Dream, But it's still mine, Gen, Probly Incorrect, Probly trash, Random Elvish, Warden's Quest, my first work in years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 15:42:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10834293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_La_La/pseuds/Lady_La_La
Summary: Warden Commander Mahariel is on her way to find a cure for the Calling, but she and the other Wardens are waylaid by bandits. Hawke and friends find her and patch her up. I suck at summaries, but this is my first fic after over 5 years of writer's block.





	The Same Coin

"Josa! Ar judala ish'ala i vena maga!" I shouted, rolling to a crouch as my horse crashed to the ground. A trap, I might have suspected. The hills around Kirkwall had always been treacherous, even more so since my fool of a former comrade (or is it comrades?) decided to start a war no one could win. The bandits eyed my vallaslin uneasily, more unnerved by the fact I'm a Dalish than my sillverite daggers. Three opponents step out of the trees, none heavily armored, but I don't dare turn to make sure my fellow Wardens follow my command; I have to trust Nathaniel to keep them in line. Garahel, that stubborn Marbari, of course ignores me, bounding to my side and growling.    
   
The largest of the three is the boldest, recovering from his unease and swaggering forward. I can smell his stink even over the scent of the forest surrounding us; sweat and old blood, mixed with rotten breath. "Pretty knives for a little elf," Gods, he reeks, but I stood my ground... I just need him a little closer, "Hand them over and maybe we'll let you and that mutt go."   
   
I tilted my head at that, allowing a sweet smile. If I had a copper for every time I heard that. "They're a little fine for thieves, but do you know what they're really good for?" Like Zevran taught me, I close the gap, stepping inside the brute's reach, but just to his left; my blade sinking home in his spine. Garahel leaped for the one at my back, making the brigand shriek as he was knocked to the ground, but the third was on me as soon as I pull free my dar'misu. I dodge one strike, then two. This one might not be big, but he's nearly as fast as me.   
   
I avoid a third swing, ducking to grab a handful of dirt and flinging it in his eyes. He stumbled back, cursing as I step in for another kill, but the bastard managed to sink a short blade into my gut. I opened his throat and let him fall, holding the wound. My armor blunted most of it, but he'd wrenched the blade when he fell, so it bled heavily. I had poultices in my saddlebags, half destroyed by my injured horse. I saw arrows jutt from his legs and stopped short, raising my dagger again as I searched for the archer; none of the bodies had a bow nearby. Another arrow whistled through the trees, narrowly missing me, so I did the only thing I could; I fled through the trees.   
   
No matter how often you do it, running through the woods is never an easy task. Add heavy bleeding, and every root and rock eventually seems to reach for your boots. I didn't stop, though, I didn't dare. I've noticed bandits are rarely forgiving when you slaughter their friends. Garahel ran beside me, always watching my back, like he has for over a decade. Dark spots flickered in my gaze as I stumbled and fell to my knees, yelping as my stomach bleeds anew. He nosed my hair, whining, so I draped an arm over him, trying to use him to rise, but my legs wouldn't support me.    
   
"Ar'an juhamin amahn, Garahel," I groaned, "Ama... inana." Darkness claimed me after that. I remember rousing some to voices, but a warm touch and a whisper of healing magic soothed me again; I knew Garahel would drive off enemies who tried to get too close. I woke to firelight, my midriff bound in linen, with something itchy applied to my wound. A poultice? I took inventory of my body before I opened my eyes; small cuts from my flight through the woods, myriad aches, but nothing unexpected. My hands were free, but the familiar weight of my weapons were gone, as was my armor. Not surprising if I needed healing, but I was still wary. I could hear voices nearby, some familiar, others not.   
   
"When do you think she'll wake up?"   
   
"Who knows? But Wardens are hardy, and she's got.. stamina, it can't be long." That one tickled my memory, but as groggy as I was, I couldn't quite place it.   
   
"She was strong even before she became a Warden, but it has been a long time." I definitely remembered that voice, though I hadn't seen the face it belonged to since I left my clan. Surprise pulled me out of my daze and I struggled to sit. A happy bark sounded behind me and a fuzzy head helped push me up. Garahel, living up to his heroic name, as usual.   
   
"Merrill?! Is that you?!" I faced my oldest friend, who was flanked by two dark haired beauties, and another elf with white hair and strange tattoos. "Lethalan, what are you doing out here? Last I heard, you were with..." I trailed off as I got a good look at one of the two women she was with; the pirate captain Alistair and I were once quite familiar with, but who I knew was also often found with the infamous Champion of Kirkwall.   
   
Merrill looked worried as she hurried over to kneel by me; "How's your wound? Hawke said your blood was odd, is that some kind of Grey Warden thing because I don't remember you having odd blood before-"   
   
"Merrill," I interrupted, "I'll be fine, I've had far worse, believe me." I could see that seemed to ease her, which was good. Merrill may have been on her way to being Keeper before I left, but her training didn't seem to have changed her even after everything that had happened over the last decade. "Why don't you introduce me to your friends?" I smiled at her, "After all, I'm sure you've bragged you knew the Hero of Ferelden as a da'len."   
   
"Oh! Right, well this is Isabela, but I think she said she met you during the Blight." Met, that was as good a word as any, I supposed. "And the broody man over there is Fenris, and this is my best friend Larissa Hawke, but most people know her as the Champion of Kirkwall... I, uh, don't know what to call you, though, Mahariel. It has been a long time."   
   
That was a bittersweet realization to come to, honestly, but it was true. It was a long time since I'd seen her, and some days, the titles the humans had given me seemed to belong to someone else, someone larger than life. I managed to shrug, "I'm still me, Merrill, my name hasn't changed," I looked at the trio behind her, "Warden Commander Selune Mahariel, but most people who aren't kissing up just call me Mahariel. Thank you for your help." I addressed Hawke next; "I think I inducted your brother into our Order, one of the most headstrong recruits I've ever met."   
   
That made her laugh, a welcome sound; "Why am I not surprised Carver made an impression? He did seem happier as a Warden. Here, let me check your wound, it should have closed by now." I watched as Merrill and the others wandered off, before looking at this Hawke again. I knew Alistair had met her, had heard Anders and Justice had once been her friends (or is it friend?), that she had once saved the life of Zevran, yet another of my travelling companions. Whispers had crossed the sea that she, too, had met Flemeth, Asha'Bellanar. I watched the mage work. She was right, her magic had sealed where I was stabbed, though it was still tender.   
   
"Thank you, I don't expect such kindness from-"   
   
"Humans?" She asks with a smile, but I've noticed she never stops smiling. "Maybe mages?"   
   
"Strangers," I finish. "Not many people trust Wardens enough to help us."   
   
The mage shruged nonchalantly, "Well, Merrill would have been upset if we'd left you to bleed all over the place, and Isabela thought you looked familiar." She changed the poultice in silence before speaking again; "You had to have heard of the chaos in Kirkwall, but what brought you out here? Surely the Commander of the Ferelden Wardens has people to run errands."   
   
I had to chuckle at that, "Not alone, I have other Wardens with me... Your brother was among us, before he ran to your aid. It's Warden business, fighting the Blight, saving people, probably causing trouble, all much more exciting than training Wardens in case we happen to be in the middle of the unluckiest Age yet."   
   
"Well, we might be. First a Blight, now the Mages and Templars at each other's throats, what's next? Little spiders all growing to the size of cave spiders?" We both stifled a shudder at that. I hate spiders, but it was good to know that another so called "savior" clearly didn't like them either. "Sorry, that would be nearly as bad as the Blight."   
   
"No, I think that'd be worse than the Darkspawn. At least Darkspawn run away when you kill the Archdemon, there's no Archspider, as far as I know, at least. Ew."   
   
She nodded, "Can you imagine? All the noble ladies wouldn't be able to climb on tables fast enough... But you didn't answer my question."   
   
"I suppose I didn't." I thought for a moment, trying to find the best way to phrase this without putting Hawke to sleep. "I've been a Warden for a decade, you know, and in that short time, we've made discoveries about the Blight and how it effects us. If in 10 years, we've learned this much, then I can't help but wonder how much more we don't know. I went to Kirkwall after receiving a strange letter from someplace called the Black Emporium, and what I found there gave me a lead to find out something new. If I can find something to help my fellow Wardens, especially when we're probably not going to have another Blight for a few years, it's my duty to find it out. My fellow Wardens and I were on our way to follow up on the lead when we were ambushed by bandits. Garahel and I took out three, but there was an archer in the trees, so I ran to lose him." I looked down at where she was tending to me. "Not the best idea I've ever had, I'll admit, but I've had worse. If an Archdemon and countless courtiers couldn't do me in, a little cut certainly isn't going to."   
   
"Maybe, but how are you going to find your men?"   
   
"We've made contingency plan after contingency plan. They know where we're going, and to wait at the next village for a day before coming to look for me. My lieutenant has been with me since I became Commander, I can rely on him. What are you four doing out here, though? Bandit filled woods aren't exactly someplace people camp for relaxation."   
   
"We're on our way out of Kirkwall. After everything that's happened, it's best if we're not seen in Kirkwall for a while. Wouldn't want the Divine to have another reason to call an Exalted March, would we? We went one way, the rest of our friends went another, we'll all meet up again and Isabela will sail me and Fenris far away. Merrill's been talking about going back, as will more of our friends, I suspect. Many of them are tied to that city, and they haven't quite reached infamy for anything they've done."   
   
She looked sad, her cheerful manner falling melancholy. I could sympathize, remembering the farewells I had with my own dearest friends. I still saw Alistair as often as I could, and Oghren had joined my Wardens, but Leliana had gone off to serve the Chantry, Zevran to bloody the Crows, Sten to Seheron, Wynne and Shale to find a way to reverse the transition to a golem, Morrigan to raise her son. Anders and Justice had vanished, only for Anders to surface by forcing a war. Valena had disappeared into the Deep Roads, and finally Sigrun had gone on her Calling. I miss the ones I've lost, but I'll lose no more to the Calling. I realized that long moments had passed in silence then, and cleared my throat. "I appreciate all that you've done to help me, but I do have to keep going. I'm strong enough."   
   
"Oh no you don't, you're almost as bad as Fenris." She seized my arm and forced me to sit again. "Sleep, it's pitch black, and elf eyes or not, you don't need to break your neck."   
   
I sighed but relented, reminded of Wynne. "Fine, no need to pull me around." I settled back down, sleep couldn't hurt and it would give me a chance to recover fully. I watched Hawke wander off, to speak lowly to Fenris, missing Alistair all the more to see how obviously in love they are. My last thought before falling asleep: "I will find it, my love, I will see you again." 

**Author's Note:**

> Translation:   
> Josa! Ar judala ish'ala i vena maga!: Run! I will kill them and find you!   
> Ar'an juhamin amahn: We will rest here   
> Ama inana: Keep watch   
>    
> Translator used: https://lingojam.com/ElvenDAI 


End file.
